A spokesperson for Penn State Health told Becker's Hospital Review April 23 the multiple sclerosis service at the hospital sent letters to 2,100 patients advising them to seek alternate care options until the hospital recruits more specialists to its team. The spokesperson said among other challenges, two of its MS specialty physicians retired and two others left the institution.

"As we seek to hire additional, highly specialized physicians and advanced care practitioners to treat patients with MS, we are encountering many of the same challenges being seen by health systems nationwide — namely, a shortage of sub-specialists trained and ready to treat this complex illness," the spokesperson told Becker's.

The spokesperson told Becker's Penn State Health is "committed to serving our patients' needs for MS care ... and are actively working through a plan to make this happen." The hospital will also directly contact affected patients "in the near future" to aid them in the transition.